Of course we know that the perfect mentor doesn’t exist. ‘No one is perfect’ is the common axiom. But as we move throughout our lives and particularly throughout our careers we yearn for guidance from those we perceive as most wise and successful.

Get the attention of the company CEO or that college drop-out who made billions in his startup. If they take you under their wing you’ll learn all their secrets and become rich and famous just like them.

Some careers pan out that way while most others don’t. What is often missing when we look to learn from people is discernment. Determine for yourself which actions you think are worthy of emulating and which actions you think should not be performed again.

If we open our eyes to everyone around us we can see that the controlling boss, the carefree child, the selfless department head, and the annoyed checkout girl all combine to make our perfect mentor.

_________________________________________________My name is Viola Minicozzi and I’m a HR professional looking to land my dream job in Phoenix, AZ. From December 1, 2015 through March 1, 2016, I’ve committed to bloggingeveryday on Facebook, LinkedInand Twitter about my progress and a host of other career related topics along the way.